Apparatus and method for causing contact between gas and liquid

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an apparatus for causing contact between gas and liquid by atomizing an abundant quantity of gas into fine bubbles. This invention comprises a revolving body mounting a plurality of hollow concentric coaxial cylinders of different diameters mounted vertically and integrally and securing canopies to the cylindrical wall portions of the cylinders open at the lower ends and closed at the upper ends, a vertically mounted drive shaft for causing rapid revolution of said revolving body in the liquid, and gas inlet pipes for supplying gas into spaces between said wall portions and said canopies. The gas supplied to said spaces is made to encircle the outer walls of the respective spaces in the form of thin films due to the speed of revolution and the gas film is then atomized into fine bubbles by means of the splitting force, so that the gas can be brought into contact with the liquid.

United States Patent [1 1 Hori [ Feb. 11, 1975 [76] lnventor: ShoichiroHori, 8-6, l-chome,

Minami-yukigaya, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: May 17, 1972 [21]Appl. No.: 253,970

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 20, 1971 Japan 46-33591 [52]US. Cl. 261/93, 261/121 R [51] Int. Cl B011 3/04 [58] Field of Search261/93, 91, 87, 114 A, 261/121 R; 259/8, 23, 43; 23/283, 285, 286

[56] 7 References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,110,914 9/1914 Feld261/91 1,737,624 12/1929 Thomson 261/93 2,122,334 6/1938 Asbury 261/91 X2,308,751 1/1943 Guthrie et 211.... 261/93 2,555,899 6/1951 Pernthaler259/23 X 3,501,524 3/1970 Krulik et al 23/283 X FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 185,196 7/1905 Germany 261/114 A 676,270 5/1939 Germany261/93 1/1964 France 261/87 9/1970 Great Britain 261/93 PrimaryExaminer-Frank W. Lutter Assistant Examiner-Richard L Chiesa Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Fidelman, Wolfe, Leitner & Hine [57] ABSTRACT Thisinvention relates to an apparatus for causing contact between gas andliquid by atomizing an abundant quantity of gas into fine bubbles. Thisinvention comprises a revolving body mounting a plurality of hollowconcentric coaxial cylinders of different diameters mounted verticallyand integrally and securing canopies to the cylindrical wall portions ofthe cylinders open at the lower ends and closed at the upper ends, avertically mounted drive shaft for causing rapid revolution of saidrevolving body in the liquid, and gas inlet pipes for supplying gas intospaces between said wall portions and said canopies. The gas supplied tosaid spaces is made to encircle the outer walls of the respective spacesin the form of thin films due to the speed of revolution and the gasfilm is then atomized into fine bubbles by means of the splitting force,so that the gas can be brought into contact with the liquid.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBI H 3865.910

SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG.I

II I[ FIGZ PATENIEBFEBI 1 ms SHEET 2 BF 2 FIG.4I

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CAUSING CONTACT BETWEEN GAS AND LIQUID Thisinvention relates to an apparatus for causing contact between gas andliquid by atomizing the gas into fine bubbles, and more particularly toan apparatus for causing contact between gas and liquid by atomizing thegas in an abundant quantity into the liquid.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for atomizing gasin the liquid into fine bubbles to bring it into contact with theliquid.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus foratomizing an abundant quantity of gas into fine bubbles in a givenperiod of time.

Other objects of this invention will become clear by the followingdetailed description thereof.

The present inventor devised an apparatus for causing contact betweengas and liquid comprising a hollow revolving cylinder having an openingat the lower end and being closed at the upper end, the arrangementbeing such that the gas supplied into the inner space of the cylinderthrough the open end thereof is made to encircle the outer periphery ofthe cylinder in the form of a thin film by the revolution of thecylinderand the film is then atomized into fine bubbles of uniform sizeby the splitting force caused by the revolution ofthe cylinder (U.S.Pat. Ser. No. 761,093 filed Sept. 20, 1968, now abandoned). In orderthat an abundant quantity of gas can be atomized into fine bubbles bythis prior apparatus in a given period of time, not only the diameter ofthe cylinder must be considerably enhanced, but a larger motive power isrequired to keep the cylinder in revolution.

The present invention resides in-the improvement of the above apparatuswhereby an abundant quantity of gas is atomized into bubbles in a givenperiod.

The present invention provides an apparatus for causing contact betweengas and liquid which is relatively small in size but capable ofatomizing gas in an abundant quantity. The present invention resides inan apparatus for causing contact between gas and liquid comprising abody capable of revolution mounted vertically and integrally having aplurality of hollow concentric coaxial cylinders of different diameterssecuring canopies to the cylindrical wall portions of the cylinders openat the lower ends and closed at the upper ends, a vertically mounteddrive shaft for causing rapid revolution of said body in the liquid, andgas inlet pipes for supplying gas into spaces between said wall portionsand said canopies, the arrangement being such that the gas supplied intosaid spaces is made to encircle the outer walls of the respective spacesin the form of thin films due to the speed of revolution and the gasfilm is then atomized into fine bubbles by means of the splitting force,so that the gas can be brought into contact with the liquid.

Next, reference is bad to the accompanying drawings by way ofexplanation of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II II of FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3and 4 are the sectional views showing two examples of the revolvingbodies shown only partially.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a revolving body 2 is placedhorizontally near the bottom of liquid tank 1. The vertical drive shaft3 mounted centrally to the revolving body 2 revolves rapidly, driven bya motive power shaft 4. The revolving body 2 comprises a plurality ofhollow cylinders of different diameters 5 5 and 5" arrangedconcentrically about the drive shaft 3, support rods 6' and 6"supporting these cylinders so that the peripheral wall portions thereofare kept in the vertical positions, and canopies 7', 7" and 7" havingopenings at the lower ends and being closed at the upper ends. Thesecanopies 7, 7" and 7" are secured to the cylindrical wall portions ofthe cylinders and spaced a predetermined distance from said wallportions. In the present embodiment, there are provided three cylinders5', 5" and 5" and two support rods 6' and 6", but the present inventionis not limited thereto. Furthermore, the heights of the hollow cylindersmay be the same or different from each other. Since the canopies 7, 7"and 7" fixedly mounted to the peripheral wall portions of thesecylinders provide for formation of the spaces for blowing gas betweensaid wall portions and canopies, the space formed between the wallportions and the canopies may be cylindrical, conical or of any otherdesired shape. Canopies 7', 7" and 7" may be mounted to the inner or theouter periph-' eral wall portions of the hollow cylinders. The lowerends of the hollow cylinders 5', 5" and 5" may be at the same height asthose of the canopies 7', 7" and 7". Preferably the lower endsof thecanopies are located below the lower ends of the cylindrical wallportions of the cylinders when the canopies are mounted on the innerwall portions of the cylinders, while the lower ends of the canopies arelocated above the lower ends of the wall portions of the cylinders, whenthe canopies are mounted to the outer wall portions of these cylinders.

When the lower end of the hollow cylinders 5', 5" and 5" is at the sameheight and smooth, as shown in FIG. 2,'nonuniformity may be caused ingas dispersion from the revolving body 2 and the fine bubbles producedmay not be of the same size. In this case, preferably the revolving body2 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may i be used. In FIG. 3, the lower end ofthe hollow cylinder 5, 5" and 5" from which gas dispersion takes placeis jagged in the form of saw teeth 10, while in FIG. 4, the lower end ofthe hollow cylinder 5, 5" and 5" from which gasdispersion occurs isreinforced with the rim ll.

The device in FIG. 3 aims at ensuring uniformity in gas dispersion as itis atomized into numerous fine bubbles, even when the gas flow ratevaries, while the device in FIG. 4 aims at facilitating formation of gasfilm and subsequent formation of fine bubbles.

Gas is supplied from inlet pipes 8, 8" and 8 into the spaces 9, 9" and9" formed between the peripheral wall portions of the cylinders 5, 5"and 5" and the canopies 7', 7 and 7". Preferably the foremost parts ofthe gas inlet pipes are located as deep within said spaces as possible.

The gas supplied into said spaces finds its way through the open lowerends respectively and encircles the peripheral wall portions of thecylinders or canopies of the revolving body 2 in the form of a filmwhich is then atomized into numerous fine bubbles to disperse all overthe inside of the tank by the splitting force due to the speed ofrevolution and allowed to contact with the liquid. Three gas inlet pipesare provided independently in the present embodiment, but a single gasinlet pipe may be branched into three sections in the liquid phase.Since the average size of the fine bubbles varies as a function of thelinear speed of the outer lateral surface of the cylinder or canopies,the number of revolutions of the revolving body cannot be fixedunconditionally. For instance, when a hollow cylinder 60 mm in diameterand 230 mm in height which is closed at the top is revolved at an rpm of3,350, the size of the bubbles generated is about equal to that of thebubble passed through the pore of 1.1..

According to the present invention, since the respective spacescontained in the revolving body will revolve simultaneously and with thesame speed. the outer spaces will have the larger linear speeds. Hence,in order that the fine bubbles of the same size may be generated fromthe respective spaces, it is necessary to regulate the gas quantityblown into the respective spaces as a function of their distance fromthe drive shaft 3.

In the apparatus according to the present invention for causing contactbetween gas and liquid, since the respective spaces in the revolvingbody correspond to the space inside the hollow cylinder of the contactapparatus disclosed in our above-mentioned prior application, a largerquantity of gas can be blown into the revolving body per unit time.Moreover, since the gas can contact with liquid in the form of finebubbles, there is a more intimate contact between gas and liquid.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for causing contact between gas and liquid including avessel for containing the liquid which comprises a body verticallymounted for revolution comprising a plurality of integral hollow,concentric, coaxial cylinders of different diameters, having canopiessecured to the cylindrical wall portions of the cylinders and spaced apredetermined distance therefrom, open at the lower ends and closed atthe upper ends, a vertically mounted driving shaft for causing rapidrevolution of said body in the liquid, and gas inlet pipes for supplyinggas into spaces between said wall portions and said canopies, whereinthe gas supplied to said spaces is made to encircle the outer walls ofthe respective spaces in the form of thin films due to the speed ofrevolution of said body and the gas film is then atomized into finebubbles by means of the splitting force, so that the gas can be broughtinto contact with the liquid and wherein said liquid is maintained at alevel which at least contacts the upper edge of the body capable ofrevolution.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the lower ends of theouter edge of said cylinders are in the form of saw teeth. 7

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim I, in which the lower ends of theouter edge of said cylinders are reinforced with a radially extendingrim.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said body mounted forrevolution is located near the bottom of the vessel.

5. A method of causing a gas to contact a liquid comprising supplyinggas to canopies within a body mounted for revolution immersed in avessel containing liquid, wherein said body comprises a plurality ofhollow concentric coaxial cylinders of different diameters, having saidcanopies secured to the cylindrical wall portions of the cylinders andspaced a predetermined distance therefrom, open at the lower ends andclosed at the upper ends, and wherein said body is revolved at a highrate of speed sufficient to form a thin film of gas around the outerwalls of said cylinders with subsequent atomization and dispersion ofsaid thin film of gas into said liquid and wherein said liquid ismaintained at a level which at least contacts the upper edge of saidbody of revolution.

1. An apparatus for causing contact between gas and liquid including avessel for containing the liquid which comprises a body verticallymounted for revolution comprising a plurality of integral hollow,concentric, coaxial cylinders of different diameters, having canopiessecured to the cylindrical wall portions of the cylinders and spaced apredetermined distance therefrom, open at the lower ends and closed atthe upper ends, a vertically mounted driving shaft for causing rapidrevolution of said body in the liquid, and gas inlet pipes for supplyinggas into spaces between said wall portions and said canopies, whereinthe gas supplied to said spaces is made to encircle the outer walls ofthe respective spaces in the form of thin films due to the speed ofrevolution of said body and the gas film is then atomized into finebubbles by means of the splitting force, so that the gas can be broughtinto contact with the liquid and wherein said liquid is maintained at alevel which at least contacts the upper edge of the body capable ofrevolution.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the lowerends of the outer edge of said cylinders are in the form of saw teeth.3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the lower ends of theouter edge of said cylinders are reinforced with a radially extendingrim.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said body mountedfor revolution is located near the bottom of the vessel.
 5. A method ofcausing a gas to contact a liquid comprising supplying gas to canopieswithin a body mounted for revolution immersed in a vessel containingliquid, wherein said body comprises a plurality of hollow concentriccoaxial cylinders of different diameters, having said canopies securedto the cylindrical wall portions Of the cylinders and spaced apredetermined distance therefrom, open at the lower ends and closed atthe upper ends, and wherein said body is revolved at a high rate ofspeed sufficient to form a thin film of gas around the outer walls ofsaid cylinders with subsequent atomization and dispersion of said thinfilm of gas into said liquid and wherein said liquid is maintained at alevel which at least contacts the upper edge of said body of revolution.